There is an important reason why the word “corporation” appears nowhere in the Declaration of Independence or the U.S. Constitution. In fact, the U.S. Constitution begins boldly with the words “We the People” and not “We the Corporations.”

The Founding Fathers knew full well the dangers corporations such as the Hudson Bay Company and British East India Company posed to the young American democracy, and that is why they wanted the existence and power or corporations extremely limited.

Thomas Jefferson, the Tea Party’s favorite limited government Founding Father, once said of corporations: “I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country.” Jefferson was well aware of the corrupting influence corporate money and power could have on the political process and that is why he and the other Founders were clear in their language that the Constitutional protections of the Bill of Rights should apply only to human U.S. citizens and not corporations.

The power and role of corporations has been growing steadily since the late nineteenth century. Corporate charters were first granted by statute and legislative act as a means to promote economic development. Originally citizens petitioned legislatures for a corporate charter. Receiving a charter allowed the corporation to raise capital, enter into contracts, sue and be sued in court, enabled shareholders to hold property, as well as providing for limited liability – a privilege not available to individuals. These privileges were granted in the hope of facilitating important and worthwhile business activities. At the same time these early legislatively-granted charters limited the power of the corporations, specifically spelling out their capitalization limitations, how they would operate and function, as well as how long they could last.

These early corporations were nothing more that legal fictions – creations of a legislature, and more recently made more powerful by the courts. They couldn’t vote, they couldn’t hold office and they most certainly were never anticipated to have the right of free speech. Now, as a result of perhaps the most activist Supreme Court in our nation’s history, that has all changed.

With the Supreme Court’s 2010 ruling in Citizens United v. FEC , the Court has affirmed the principle (that would have our Founding Fathers turning over in their graves) of “corporate personhood.” As a result, corporations are now essentially equal to humans under the law. To make matters worse, the Court also declared that money is equivalent to free speech. The end result is that in 2012 the political process is being utterly corrupted by wealthy individuals and corporations that are now allowed to contribute unlimited funds directly to a candidate’s campaign. Anyone who thinks that that does not endanger the viability of our democracy simply doesn’t understand human nature.

So what can be done? While the challenges are incredibly daunting, there is hope. All across the country petitions are being signed and resolutions passed calling for a Constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizens United decision. In states as diverse as Vermont, Hawaii, and Montana resolutions have already been passed, while similar resolutions are pending in New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, and California.

Here in Massachusetts, over 40 communities have passed resolutions, while signatures are being collected daily to get a non-binding public policy “Democracy Amendment” ballot question in as many representative and senate voting districts as possible for this November’s election. The ballot question would essentially request that the legislator of the district vote in favor of a resolution calling upon Congress to propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution affirming that: 1.) corporations are not entitled to the constitutional rights of human beings, and 2.) both Congress and the States may place limits on political contributions and spending.

Our democracy and “we the people” are in the fight of our lives. The survival of democracy as we know it hangs in the balance. Corporations and the super wealthy must not be allowed to buy candidates and elections. When a corporation gives millions of dollars to help elect a candidate, whose interests do you think that candidate will be representing? Will he be concerned about we the people, or what the public interest may be? Or will he simply be beholding to those who funded his election victory? To anyone with just a little bit of common sense, the answer should be abundantly clear.

If you believe that corporations are not people and don’t deserve the same Constitutional protections as actual human beings, then please lend a hand by signing a petition when you see one, or in actually volunteering to help collect the necessary signatures. The signature gathering effort is being lead by Common Cause Massachusetts and Greater Boston Move to Amend. To volunteer, please call 617-426-9600 or e-mail Common Cause Massachusetts Field Director Tyler Creighton at
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For now we still have our presidents with names like Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Obama. But if we’re not careful, what we the people could have instead are “leaders” named President General Motors, or maybe even President Bain Capital.